Weeks 18 and 19 -- July 11 - July 25

Our Paintsites coordinators have decided to resume Paintsites! We recognize that the COVID pandemic is not over by any means, and we also recognize that some members will choose not to join Paintsites at this time. The blog will continue to be published as a Weekly Painting Blog for all our members with the same submission guidelines. 

Paint site Guidelines

Check the Paintsites website for details including directions and possible cancellations. To keep our members and guests as safe as possible during the COVID-19 era, we must change how we do things. Some of the paintsites have visitor limits. When this occurs we will post the information in paintsite details on the Society website. Participants must wear masks and observe the 6 ft. rule. We no longer take photos of paintings on site. Please take your own photo, crop if needed, and submit  to paintsites@scvws.org according to our Weekly Blog submission guidelines.  

Blog Submission Guidelines

We invite paintsite artists to paint or sketch during the week, pick one painting from that week and submit it by Saturday of that week. Here are some guidelines:

• Submit a digital photo of your artwork to paintsites@scvws.org. Cropped photos are preferred.
• Include your name, the date and comments about the site or unique media notes.
• Be creative! Some of your best subjects are in or around your home. You may want to paint from personal photos of your travels.
• Submissions after Saturday midnight will appear in the following week's blog.
• One submission per member per week, please.

Artwork

From the San Jose History Park paintout July 16, 2020

"Blacksmith Shop" by Caroline

"Fill 'er Up" by Elaine

"Firehouse" by Helen

"Chinese - American History Building" by Alison

Paintings from the Ulistac Preserve paintout July 23, 2020

"Eucalyptus" by Elaine

"Eucalyptus" by Tanvi

"Eucalyptus Shadows" by Tanvi

"Trees  and Branch" by Alison

"Trees " by Alison

These paintings are from our other artists from various sites or at home.

"Lily Pond at Glenwood Preserve" by Annie

"Reach for the Sky" Oslo, Norway from a personal photo by Salinda

"Northern Lights, Iceland" from a personal photo by Dick

"Reflections" by Indira 

"Hibiscus" plein air by Joe 

"Baylands Serenade " by Caroline

Next paintsite, July 30  Vasona Park, Los Gatos, CA

A Tribute to Marilyn, Part 1: A Gallery of Marilyn's Paintings

Marilyn painted with the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society for many years. Shortly before her death she wrote:

I really enjoyed contributing to the blog while I was feeling well enough and got to paint in my studio,                          painting emphasizes what a beautiful world we live in.

Here is a gallery of some of Marilyn's best work:

8/16/12 Gamble Garden

11/1/12 Harris-Lass Historical Museum

2/7/13 Santana Row
"I drew and inked my painting on site, and added the color at home, because the arbor that gave me refuge from the rain was not perfect, and every once in a while, a big drop of water landed on my table or sketchbook.  It was very fun to sit and sketch while watching the rain, yet I was happy to stop to have hot soup."   Marilyn

4/27/13 Linda Vista Park, Cupertino
"The plein air lesson had a good turnout, and I hope that many of the new people turn into regulars.  I chose this subject because I felt that my sketchbook was in need of more red. "  Marilyn

7/20/13 Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum
"There were many wonderful painting subjects at the Rosicrucian, but I selected this shrine because I could sit at a cafe table under a tree with dense foliage.  When I thought it couldn't get any better, a guitarist arrived and serenaded me with very gentle, peaceful music for at least an hour."  Marilyn

9/21/13 Santa Clara Caltrain Depot
"I got shelter from the rain under the eaves that you see in the middle of my painting.  After so long without significant rain, it was nice to watch the rain."  Marilyn

12/19/13 Santa Clara Civic Center Park
"When I first arrived, I thought the wind was much too cold, but I found a sunny, somewhat protected place to sit, and it turned out to be a very pleasant painting morning. "  Marilyn

1/2/14 Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve
"I admit to using my camera to photograph the Northern Shoveler, and drawing from the LCD screen.  But he and his mate were very hungry and spent the entire morning feeding right by where I was sitting, so I got to paint while viewing the real bird, not the photo."  Marilyn

4/17/14 AeroDynamic Aviation, San Jose

7/3/14 Allied Arts Guild, Menlo Park
Marilyn's painting of the fountain in the Court of Abundance

12/18/14 Lighthouse Field State Beach, Santa Cruz
Marilyn's finished painting of the lighthouse

1/22/15 Gurdwara Sikh Temple, San Jose

3/19/15 Kirk-Farrington House, San Jose
Marilyn's painting of a tree peony blossom

6/25/15 San Juan Bautista Mission and State Park, San Juan Bautista
Marilyn's completed painting of just a bit of the arcade, the church, the bell tower
and the cemetery gate

7/23/15 Japanese Friendship Garden, Kelley Park, San Jose
Marilyn's painting of the Red Bridge

9/24/15 Annual Santa Cruz Paintout
Marilyn's painting of two sloops tied to a nearby dock

9/25/15 Annual Santa Cruz Paintout
"I finished this after tide-pooling which caused me to put in much more detail of the tide pool area and the mobile home park on top of the cliff (gateway to the tide-pool area)".    Marilyn

11/19/15 Hidden Villa, Los Altos Hills
Marilyn's painting of the Duvenck House

2/11/16 McClellan Ranch, Cupertino

3/3/16 Saratoga Heritage Orchard, Saratoga
Marilyn's really close-up painting of some blossoms using techniques
 she picked up in recent workshops

5/12/16 Joseph D. Grant County Park, San Jose
Marilyn's finished painting of the Lick Observatory

6/2/16 Rancho San Antonio County Park & Open Space Preserve, Cupertino
Marilyn's painting of some of the crops in the Farm garden

6/23/16 Sierra Azul Nursery, Watsonville
Since taking the SCVWS Journaling Workshop, Marilyn had done some serious "journaling".   These were her first three entries for the day

7/7/16 Shoreline Park, Mt. View
Marilyn's journal entry for the day started out with the same creek scene. "Thank you, Alison, for the excellent presentation about the engineering of Shoreline Lake, Charleston Slough, and surroundings.  I have been enjoying this park for such a long time, and you explained things I never knew about the park."     Marilyn

9/22/16 Annual Two Day Santa Cruz Paintout

10/27/16 Senior Safari - Happy Hollow Zoo, San Jose
Marilyn patiently waited for a Red Panda to come out and, when it did,
made this quick sketch of it

11/17/16 Hidden Villa, Los Altos Hills
The penned-up goats, altho' not the focal point of her painting,
 were so much fun that they attracted most of her attention 

5/18/17 Arizona Cactus Garden, Stanford University
Marilyn's sketch of flowering barrel cactus

5/25/17 Carmelite Monastery, Santa Clara
Marilyn's painting of the Chapel

1/26/17 AeroDynamic Aviation, Reid Hillview Airport, San Jose
Marilyn's painting of the SportStar.  The staff was right.
This airplane posed for us all day.

11/2/17 Sunnyvale Baylands Park
Marilyn's painting of geometric sculptures with tree tunnel
and Milpitas Hills in the background

12/14/17 Central Wholesale Nursery, San Jose
Marilyn's red poinsettia

12/28/17 Redwood Grove Nature Preserve, Los Altos

5/24/18 Cooper-Garrod Vineyards, Saratoga
Marilyn captured the entire vista including horses

6/21/18 Gamble Garden, Palo Alto
Marilyn's painting of the dahlia

6/28/18 Uvas Canyon County Park, Morgan Hill
Marilyn's painting of Basin Falls

8/18/18 Weekend Paintsites  Casa Grande, New Almaden
Marilyn's close up painting from the narrow parking lot

9/20/18 Pigeon Pt. Lighthouse SHP, Pescadero
Marilyn's painting of the lighthouse

9/27/18 Ainsley House, Campbell
Marilyn's painting of the front door and the bay window

3/28/19 Santa Clara Mission
Marilyn's painting of orange flowers

3/29//19 Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve Wildflower Walk, Morgan Hill
Marilyn's painting of a field of wildflowers with Coyote Valley
and the Santa Cruz Mountains in the background

4/18/19 Hakone Gardens, Saratoga
Marilyn's painting of the Moon Bridge and pond

5/9/19 Nola's Iris Garden, Prevost Ranch, San Jose
Marilyn's watercolor of an iris set against the
the East Bay Hills

6/27/29 Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum, Sunnyvale
Marilyn's painting of apricots on the tree

10/17/19 Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve, Morgan Hill
Marilyn's painting of the ranch with the flag blowing briskly in the breeze

Week 2, March 22 to 28, 2020, Painting at a Safe Distance
Marilyn's painting of house finch: "This brightly colored house finch and his mate are still enjoying the privet berries in my backyard and giving me lots of pleasure watching them

Week 4, April 5 to April 11, 2020, Painting at a Safe Distance
Acorn Woodpecker by Marilyn
 Marilyn says, "This lady acorn woodpecker, storing up food in the granary snag, was my painting buddy the last time SCVWS paintsite artists visited Rancho San Antonio back in November 2017."

Week 6, April 19 to April 25, 2020, Painting at a Safe Distance
Marilyn says, "To practice what Edward Rooks taught in his live video wildlife sketching class at Leguna Seca this week, I painted a coyote. The non-hikers saw this coyote at the Pueblo Day Use Area of Santa Teresa CP June 2015".

Week 11, May 24 to May 30, Painting at a Safe Distance
Marilyn's watercolor of rose blooms in their prime at
the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden
(this was Marilyn's last blog entry)